Edward spencer piper



No. 6|6,966. Patented Jan. 3, I899. E. S. PIPER.

CUPOLA TAIL LAMP.

(Application filed Apr. 22, 1898.)

(No Model.)

h."HIIIIIIII."HHH|I- 'lllll 19.5. Wa /4633 e3 UNITED STATES PATENTFFICE.

EDIVARD SPENCER PIPER, OF TORONTO, CANADA.

CUPOLA TAIL-LAM P.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 616,966, dated January3, 1899.

Application filed April 22, 1898. Serial-N0. 678,457. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD SPENCER PI- .PER, manufacturer, of the cityof Toronto, in

the county of York and Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented a newand Improved Oupola Tail-Lamp, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of my invention is to devise a cupola tail-lamp forrailway-trains which may be caused to show red to the rear and white orgreen to the front when the train is on the main line or green to therear and white or green to the front when the train is on a siding; andit consists, essentially, of a lampcasing connected to the roof of a carabove an opening therein and provided With lenses in front and rear andof a revoluble frame supported therein carrying two green glasses or agreen and a white diametrically disposed and a red and a white or greenglass diametrically disposed between them, suitable indicating andlocking mechanism being provided, whereby a trainman may set the saidframe to show the desired signals, substantially as hereinafter morespecifically described and then definitely claimed.

Figure 1 is a perspective view,partly broken away, of my improved lamp.Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan viewof the same. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view taken through the lenses.

In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding partsin the diiferent figures.

A is the lamp-casing, which is provided with the usual means ofventilation. Openings are formed at the front and. rear of this casingwhich are glazed with the lenses I. The casing is provided at its basewith an inwardly-projecting flange B, which outside the casing isprovided with suitable screw-holes for connection to the edges of asuitable opening formed in the car roof O. The inwardlyprojectingportion of the flange is shouldered at a. Resting on the flange withinthe shoulder is a ring D, which is held in place by means of clips E,secured to its lower surface and extending beneath the flange B.Extending upwardly from this ring are two or more standards F, whichsupport the circular frame G. This frame has four circular openingsformed therein, behind which are supported the colored glasses H H H H.The glasses H and H are red and white or green, respec-- tively, and theglasses H and II are green or green and white.

By revolving the ring D it is evident that the red and white glasses maybe brought in front of either of the lenses of the casing or that thegreen glasses may be made to occupy the same position. In order to lockthe ring in any of the positions described, I provide a spring-operatedplunger J ,which is connected to the under side of the ring and extendsbelow the flange B. In the flange are formed four holes 5, with any oneof which the plunger J may be engaged.

K is a lamp having a flanged skirt L connected thereto, which when thelamp is pushed up through the ring D engages the lower side thereof, asshown in Fig. 2.

M are spring-catches connected to the sides of the lamp and arranged toengage the inner edge of the ring D, as shown. By pressing inwardlythese spring-catches the lamp may be readily removed for lighting and asreadily replaced.

In accordance with the recently-adopted code of signals allrailway-trains are required to carry lamps upon the top of the rear car,showing red to the rear and White or green to the engineer when thetrain is on the main line. They are also required to show a green lightto the rear and a green or white light to the engineer when on a siding.

With a lamp such as described by revolving the circular frame carryingthe colored glasses the required signals may be, given. If the red andwhite lights were fixed so as always to show to the same ends of thecar, the lights would be wrong unless the car were turned on arriving atthe end of its journey in one direction. With my improved lamp it isimmaterial whether the car he turned or not, as by revolving thecircular frame the red and white or green lights may be shown asrequired. In order that the trainman within the car may see how the lampis set, I prefer to paint on the under side of the ring D coloredsections similar in color to the glasses immediately above them, so thatthe position of the colored sections on the ring shows eX- actly theposition of the glasses above. \Vhat I claim as my invention is--- 1. Asa cupola tail-lamp, a lamp-casing provided with lenses in front and rearand a shouldered flange at its base, in combination with a ring restingon the said flange within the shoulder; means for holding the ring onthe flange a frame connected to the said ring and carrying two greenglasses or a green and white diametrically disposed, and a red and whiteor green glass diametrically disposed between them; a lamp detachablysupported within the said ring, and means for locking the given color ofglass in front of any given lens, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

2. As a cupola tail-lamp a lamp-casin g provided with lenses in frontand rear and an inwardly-projecting shouldered flange at its base incombination with a ring resting on the said flange within the shoulder;clips secured to the ring and extending under the flange; a frameconnected to the said ring and carrying two green glasses or a green andwhite diametrically disposed, and a red and a white or green glassdiametrically disposed between them; a lamp detachably supported withinthe said ring, and means for locking the given color of glass in frontof any given lens, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. As a cupola tail-lamp a lamp-casing provided with lenses in front andrear and an inwardly-projecting shouldered flange at its base incombination with a ring resting on the said flange within the shoulder;clips secured to the ring and extending under the flange; a frameconnected to the said ring and carrying two green glasses or a green andwhite diametrically disposed, and a red and a white or green glassdiametrically disposed between them; a lamp detachably supported withinthe said ring; a spring-actuated plunger carried by said ring andadapted to engage holes formed in the bottom flange of the lamp-casing,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. As a cupola tail-lamp a lamp-casing provided with lenses in front andrear and an inwardly-projecting shouldered flange at its base incombination with a ring resting on the said flange within the shoulder;clips secured to the ring and extending under the flange; a frameconnected to the said ring and carrying two green glasses or a green andwhite diametrically disposed, and a red and a white or green glassdiametrically disposed between them; a lamp detachably supported withinthe said ring; a spring-actuated plunger carried by said ring andadapted to engage holes formed in the bottom flange of the lamp-casing,and colored quadrants painted on the bottom of the ring, substantiallyas and for the purpose specified.

Toronto, April 13, 1898.

EDl/VARD SPENCER PIPER.

In presence of JOHN G. RIDOUT, N. O. DIOKSON.

